shape
carat
color
clarity

Little blue sapphire--keep and set, or return and keep looking?

Keep and set this little sapphire, look for a lighter one, or look for a different stone?

  • Keep and set this "deep royal blue" sapphire

    Votes: 1 8.3%
  • Look for a lighter blue sapphire

    Votes: 11 91.7%
  • Look for a different stone entirely (if so, what kind?)

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    12

glitterata

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
4,255
I have a lovely art deco platinum ring currently set with a dreadful little diamond, an OEC that's at least I2. (I don't actually mind inclusions in diamonds as long as they don't affect the sparkle--my sweet spot is a good I1--but this diamond has a huge feather with accompanying carbon smudges across one entire half and reflecting into the other half, which makes it smudgy-translucent rather than transparent.)

The dreadful diamond is 4.9 mm in diameter. I tried to live with it, but I really, really don't like it. I have plenty of diamond rings and don't need another, but I wanted to use a period-appropriate stone, so I decided to replace it with a blue sapphire. I bought one from Yvonne at Cecile Raley Designs. It was on sale and the price seemed reasonable. Here's her description: "This Ceylon sapphire is unheated and a lovely saturated royal blue color with tinges of purple, especially indoors. Extremely nice Portuguese cut, perfectly eye clean. Will fit into all of my rings and pendants that take a 5mm round center stone."

The specs:
Size: .42 ct
Measurements: 4.56 x 2.53mm
Shape: Round, Portuguese cut
Origin: Sri Lanka (Ceylon) - Mundun Kotuwa
Color: Deep Royal Blue
Treatment: None (unheated)

Her video:

Her video seems accurate to me. That's how it looks in bright, indirect light like shaded sun or a cloudy day outdoors. In direct sunlight it lights up bright blue. But in most indoor light it looks very dark, so deep navy it's hard for me to tell it's blue. I think part of the issue may be that it's so small--do little dots of very deep color just read as black?

I love the color in bright light and especially in direct sun. But indoors or in the evening/artificial light it's just so dark. Should I return this sapphire and look for a lighter one? Or is this what blue sapphires are supposed to be like? What would you do?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Here are various photos of the sapphire and the setting, along with some photos of another ring of mine from the same period, a platinum ring set with little diamond melee and three tiny sapphires (smaller than the one from Yvonne), that behave in pretty much the same way. I can only really tell they're blue outdoors in the sun.

Slightly overcast afternoon:

IMG_9541.jpeg

Bright daylight indoors:
IMG_9546.jpeg

Daytime indoors, not near the window:

IMG_9549.jpeg

How it looks most of the time indoors:

IMG_9558.jpeg

Another typical look:

IMG_9573.jpeg

Full sun:

IMG_9578.jpeg IMG_9579.jpeg

My other 1920s deco sapphire ring, with the ring I want to put the sapphire in, first in shaded sunlight with the sapphires looking bright blue, then two shots in a darker part of the room, with the sapphires looking almost black. In the first of the dark shots you can see the new sapphire in its gem box peeping out between my fingers. In the last shot I'm holding the new sapphire in its box--it's out of focus, but you can get an idea of the color.
IMG_9580.jpeg
IMG_9581.jpeg
IMG_9585.jpeg
 

chrono

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 22, 2004
Messages
38,364
Some are just that way, some don’t darken that much. It depends on the stone.
 

glitterata

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
4,255
Some are just that way, some don’t darken that much. It depends on the stone.

Thanks, Chrono. So if I don't like the dark look, do you think I should return it and keep looking? What are the chances I'll find one that stays bright? Should I look for "cornflower" instead of "royal blue"?
 

chrono

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 22, 2004
Messages
38,364
I would look for richly coloured cornflower. You’re not in a rush, right?

I got my little ones from Wink Jones.
 

molecule

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Apr 2, 2018
Messages
644
I've purchased too many stones that I liked in only certain lighting conditions and then proceeded to never set because I didn't feel like I loved the stone. That setting deserves a rich sapphire that holds its color.
 

glitterata

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
4,255
I would look for richly coloured cornflower. You’re not in a rush, right?

I got my little ones from Wink Jones.

I love Wink! What a good guy! I bought a garnet from him a thousand years ago, and my two HPD CBIs, and was very happy with the transactions. I somehow thought he was only dealing in diamonds these days. @Wink , do you still deal in colored stones?
 

Daisys and Diamonds

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 30, 2019
Messages
22,501
As the owner of a too dark sapphire ring, id keep looking
it might very well look darker when set
 

glitterata

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
4,255
Thanks so much for your help, all. I'll send it back and keep looking.
 

LilAlex

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Mar 3, 2018
Messages
3,585
Go cornflower, not royal, imo. Royal (meaning even GRS-royal, etc.) can be quite dark.

Then you're of course at the mercy of whoever wants to call anything cornflower but you get the idea.

I think your new sapphire is pretty appealing.
 

KristinTech

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Aug 7, 2013
Messages
1,863
I love Wink! What a good guy! I bought a garnet from him a thousand years ago, and my two HPD CBIs, and was very happy with the transactions. I somehow thought he was only dealing in diamonds these days. @Wink , do you still deal in colored stones?

I am having HPD source a 7mm sapphire for me (it will be set in their NY Classic solitaire). I had an empty setting when I got my new CBI three-stone ring!

for your sapphire, I think it will be too dark once it’s set (for my taste). I would keep looking. The sun shots are spectacular, though!!
 

lilmosun

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 30, 2014
Messages
2,394
It's also worth asking Yvonne if she has anything else available as she doesn't post everything in her shop. She just got back from the Denver show where she met with the supplier she helped source my 5mm medium cornflower blue sapphire from.
 

WinkHPD

Ideal_Rock
Trade
Joined
May 3, 2001
Messages
7,516
I love Wink! What a good guy! I bought a garnet from him a thousand years ago, and my two HPD CBIs, and was very happy with the transactions. I somehow thought he was only dealing in diamonds these days. @Wink , do you still deal in colored stones?

Yes my friend. I do sell mostly diamonds, but I also am always happy to find a special gem for someone who wants it.

I remember you well. You were one of the first to welcome me aboard when I started posting so many years ago. I have always remembered that.

Wink
 

glitterata

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
4,255
Thanks so much, everyone! You really helped clarify my thinking about this stone and the ring.

I sent the sapphire back today. Now I'm going to hold off on jewelry spending until after election day (when my campaign contributions won't make a difference, and I will either need cheering up or be feeling celebratory). I sent the price I paid for the sapphire to election funds in swing states instead.
 
Be a part of the community Get 3 HCA Results
Top